Quote - The concept of taking point-by-point measurements and processing them
numerically has been around since the 1930's, often credited to GM's
visionary stylist Harley Earl.  Google "styling bridge" or see this:

http://www.carofthecentury.com/hybrid_engineering_made_gm_no__1_in_1930s.htm

Actually, it's been around a lot longer, it's calling surveying (Aside from engineering, it's my profession)  One can survey land or objects - ships, houses, and movable objects, with a number of data collecting methods, and varying degrees of precision. It's the core of what I do for work.

Surveying of land via data points is as old as tax collecting. Surveyors sometimes call it the 'second oldest proffesion in the world'. Definately tracks back to the times of old egyptian pharaohs, whom would tax their minions based on the area of the land they would own (or occupy).

One of the more popular methods as of late is 3D laser scanning.

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